[Apostle Willard Richards Journal] Camp Garden Grove. Morning dark, atmosphere heavy, occasional light showers of rain, some rain through the night. At 11 a.m. the Saints assembled at the music of the brass band and drum in a valley a few rods west of the northwest of the north field. Meeting opened by singing from the choir "The Glorious Day Is Rolling On." Prayer by President Young, followed by music from the choir, song--"Jesus Shall Reign," etc. Addressed by Elder John Taylor who spoke of the situation of the camp and hastening of the time when the lion and the lamb shall lie together, when the children should play with the most poisonous serpents, the folly of the Saints making war with the rattlesnake, etc. Compared the situation of the camp to the children of Israel in the wilderness; that we had no need to turn back after the leeks and onions as they are plenty here. At 20 minutes past 12 noon, meeting dismissed by Elder Taylor for 1 hour and 30 minutes. Present at this meeting about 250 persons.
At 3 p.m. the Saints assembled, about 225 persons present. Music by the band. Prayer by Elder O. Pratt, and singing. Elder Young addressed the meeting from which the following is a synopsis. I take the liberty of saying a few words to the camp of the Saints pertaining to our present conditions. All things appear spiritual and all things appear temporal to us as our circumstances change, but the all-seeing eye of Jehovah sees us both spiritual and temporal, and so do we, according to the measure of knowledge that we possess. But those who are destitute of knowledge are without the law, hence came the law, and he that lives up to the law according to the measure of intelligence that he possesses shall eventually possess all the knowledge, keys, and powers of the priesthood.
But he that falters and makes a miss-step from the law of the gospel will never regain that which he has lost, it will always keep up to him sorrow and distress, and he will be like the troubled sea, continually casting up mire and dirt. Some have started with us and have turned back, and perhaps more will go yet, but I hope better things of you brethren. We have set out to find a land and resting place where we can serve the Lord in peace. We will leave some here because they cannot go further at present, but can stay here for a season and recruit, and by and by pick up and come on, while we go a little further and lengthen out the cords and settle a few more, and so on continue until we can gather all the Saints and plant them in the place where we will build the house of the Lord in the tops of the mountains.
But let any person turn from us and go back to Nauvoo or Vorhee, because we have allowanced them, shall hunger and thirst and will yet take more comfort in eating a cold piece of Johnnycake with us than what they now do with all the dainties and luxuries that they have horded up and taken away. The Lord will bring every person to their covenants either sooner or later, if it must needs be that they serve a probation in hell. No one can get around his covenants, his solemn obligations must be redeemed.
When the camp went up to Missouri, it was considered a great move, but is nothing to compare with this, and he that will stick and be faithful through this campaign will always rejoice and shall be crowned with laurels of victory. I know that we can live upon much less provisions than what we have formerly been accustomed to. I have seen around the tents in this camp provisions wasted, beans and corn scattered, a plate full of meal or flour sitting in one corner, or spilled by the children, pieces of bread kicking around and nothing but waste all the day long. Such things are sinful in the sight of the Lord, and had this people been prudent, economical, and wise in all their movements, there would now be provision enough to feed 2,000 persons six weeks.
The President then related an anecdote: the economy of a certain young widow who wished to raise her station in life sent to hire the servants of a rich merchant, a widower, set them to counting a few coppers that she had, and when they were done counting them she made them count them over again, and so on continue through the day, making them covenant to say to their master when they went home that they had been counting money all day for the widow, which they did. The merchant replied, "not all day?" "Yes massa, all day." "Did you get done?" said the merchant. "Yes, replied the servants, just at night." This, of course, left the impression that the widow was rich and soon the merchant paid her a visit and finally married her. When he took her home he committed to her charge the same amount of money that he himself used on his former wife to furnish his table daily and feed his servants. The widow by her economy saved one half of the daily rations, besides rendering entire satisfaction with the other half. His table was better furnished and his servants acknowledged they were better fed than they had been by their former mistress.
The merchant one day was short of change [and] asked her to loan him some; she readily handed him 100 dollars. Shortly after [he] called upon her again. She handed him 500 more. The merchant then felt anxious to know the amount of money she had when he married her, "a few coppers," she replied, and then explained the trick which she had played upon him. "The money that I paid you back was the money that you gave me to feed the servants." The merchant then considered himself richer than ever, and was better pleased with her economy than with her supposed wealth.
We shall organize the whole camp this evening so that every man can go to work in the morning to make a farm, build a bridge and houses, dig wells, etc. Let every man who is united to go to work to accomplish these objects, manifest it by raising the right hand. Unanimous vote. "I know," said the President, "that if this people will be united and harken to counsel, the Lord will give them every desire of their hearts. The earth and the fullness thereof are the Lord's and he intends that his Saints shall possess it as soon as they are able to bear prosperity."
Elder O. Pratt spoke at some length and said he was converted to the PresidentÂ's views. The idea of our crossing the mountains this year with our families is something I never could believe. It is eight years today since the Twelve took their leave of the Saints on the foundation of the House of the Lord at Far West, Missouri, to go to the nations of the earth. Previous to that time Joseph had this mission in contemplation, viz.: to find a location west of the Rocky Mountains. Whenever Joseph spoke upon this subject, he proposed to send a company of young men as pioneers to seek a location and raise crops previous to sending families, and I still approve of his views. Elder Kimball concurred in the views of the previous speakers and said that the provisions in the camp were nearly exhausted and that it would take 30 years to cross the mountains at the rate we had been traveling.
President Young said the spirit of the Lord and keys of the priesthood holds power and dominion over all animated beings. When Father Adam transgressed the law, he did not fall all at once from the presence of the Lord, but spake face to face with him for a long time afterwards. The rising generation continued to sin and degenerate from generation to generation until they have got so far from the Lord that a veil of darkness sprung up between them, so that they could not any longer speak with the Lord save it was through a prophet. During this time the earth and all creation groaned in sin and continued to degenerate, and enmity increased and the lives of man and beast began to shorten, and the earth continued downwards to the present time. For this cause the Son of God descended below all things that he might reach the case of every man that he might return to the Father and possess all things.
In this dispensation the keys that were committed to Father Adam will be restored. And we are to commence retracting, and to approximate back again into th
e favor and presence of the Lord by taking up the ordinances of the gospel and following them back to the starting point. To speak plainly my feelings, I would say that if we will cease hostility, and no longer wage hostility with the serpents, and lay aside all enmity and treat all things kindly, being humble and faithful with long suffering and forbearance, that no man need ever have a horse of a cow bit by a snake. The serpents would soon become perfectly harmless so that the elders could handle them without danger, children would fondle and play with them without receiving harm.
After the meeting closed, let the commandants of companies number their men and instruct them to meet tomorrow morning at this place at 6 oÂ'clock, when every manÂ's employment will be assigned him and a daily report will be kept of each manÂ's labors.
About 6 p.m. Shadrach Roundy arrived 3 1/2 days from Nauvoo with a mail of 28 letters, also a letter from Elder O. Hyde to President Young, to [?] which was the special object of his mission. At 8, Presidents Young, Kimball, P. P. Pratt, Taylor, and Richards, and fifteen others, met in council at the post office. 359 laboring men were reported on hand, independent of trading commissaries, herdsmen, etc., 100 of whom were selected to make rails and Charles C. Rich, James G. Pace, Lewis D. Wilson, and Stephen Markham their superintendents; 10 for fence building, James Allred, superintendent; 48 for building houses, Father John Smith, superintendent; 12 for digging wells, Jacob Pert, superintendent; 10 for building a bridge, A. P. Rockwood, superintendent; the remainder and all available men to be employed in clearing, plowing, planting, etc., under the superintendence of Daniel Spencer, a farmer.
Elder HydeÂ's letter of the 22nd April was read stating that sales were dull at Nauvoo, the city threatened with mobs, there was like to be a judgment against the [Nauvoo] Temple and that a Catholic bachelor had offered 200,000 dollars for it; the trustees wanted counsel whether to sell it or not. After consultation, council decided the subject lay over till tomorrow and that the Twelve decide it. A letter was read from Elder J. L. Heywood to Elder Kimball stating that his house had been sold and 35 yoke of oxen received on payment. Elder Roundy stated that Joseph Young had sold his house and lot for 650 dollars, and that anti-Mormons of Nauvoo had secretly held a meeting in opposition to mobocracy, but had not closed their business when he left.
[source: Apostle Willard Richards Journal]
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